come see! · 2015. 8. 31. · come and see the works of god: he is terrible [awesome] in his doing...

ComeAndSee!

Soul-winning Program

Come and see the works of God: He is awesome in His dealings with the children of men.

Jeff Musgrave

© 2006 Highlands Baptist Church of Littleton1510 East Phillips Avenue

Centennial, CO 80122303-798-1204

Students Overview .....................................................................................................................................................................1

Week Before Instructor’s Lesson Plan .........................................................................................................................2.1

Section 1

Lesson 1 Introduction & Demonstration ..................................................................................................7

Lesson 2 What to Expect & Identifying Divine Appointments .........................................19

Lesson 3 Making friends through Conversation .................................................................................27

Lesson 4 Conversation ................................................................................................................................................37

Section 2

Lesson 5 Introduction - God is Holy .............................................................................................................47

Lesson 6 Introduction - God is Just ................................................................................................................55

Lesson 7 Introduction - God is Love .............................................................................................................61

Lesson 8 Introduction - God is Gracious ..................................................................................................67

Section 3

Lesson 9 Practical Helps ........................................................................................................................................75

Lesson 10 Invitation......................................................................................................................................................83

Lesson 11 Assimilation................................................................................................................................................89

Lesson 12 General Knowledge Review .....................................................................................................97

Lesson 13 Final Exam & Testimonies ...................................................................................................... 103

Section 4 – Handouts

Come and See Debriefing Charts ........................................................................................................................... 109

Come and See Information Sheet ........................................................................................................................... 117

Come and See Memory Sheet / Come and See Mandatory Verses ................................................. 119

Overall Assignment Sheet ............................................................................................................................................. 121

Come and See Commitment Card ........................................................................................................................ 123

Come and See Prayer Partner Card ...................................................................................................................... 125

Trainers’ √ Sheet / Come and See Memory Sheet ....................................................................................... 127Seeing is Believing Report Outline .......................................................................................................................... 129

Religious Questionnaire ................................................................................................................................................. 131

Section 5

Quizzes and Test Bank...........................................................................................................................................133-156

Come and See Administrative Helps ..................................................................................................................... 161

Table Of COnTenTs

i

1

COme & see Overview

Class Date_______ Lesson 1 - Introduction & Demonstration (This is a 3 hour lesson. There will be no

Seeing is Believing On the Job Training this night.)

_______ Lesson 2 - What to Expect & Identifying Divine Appointments

_______ Lesson 3 – Making friends through Conversation

_______ Lesson 4 – Conversation

_______ Lesson 5 – Introduction - God is Holy

_______ Lesson 6 – Introduction - God is Just

_______ Lesson 7 – Introduction - God is Love

_______ Lesson 8 - Introduction - God is Gracious

_______ Lesson 9 - Practical Helps & Catch up night

_______ Lesson 10 - Invitation

_______ Lesson 11 - Assimilation

_______ Lesson 12 - Verses Test, General Knowledge Review, and Q & A

_______ Lesson 13 - Turn in Oral Presentation Memory Sheets, Final Exam & Testimonies

Seeing is Believing (On the job training)

This is the list we are asking your trainer to check each night as he or she leads your soul-winning team. Taking time to read it some time each week will remind you what to pray for, aim at, and expect as you visit together.

trainer √ list

In the Carq Ask each team member to pray in the car at the beginning of Seeing is Believing.

q Depend on Christ for boldness through the Holy Spirit. This will help breed boldness into your trainees.

q Be in charge of where to go.

q Assign each team member his or her part in the visit.

q Plan when to “toss” the presentation to the trainee after Lesson 5.

q Anticipate God’s Divine appointments.

22

q Keep moving; find souls; use all the time you have.

q Use extra time in the car to practice the Come and See Soul-winning Presentation.

q Ensure spiritual conversation in the car.

q Lead a debriefing discussion that will assist in filling out the Seeing is Believing Debriefing Chart.

q Lead in prayer when you get back to the church.

In the Homeq Determine to get into homes.

q Be sure to ask, “May we come in?”

q Be sure to turn the conversation to the Theme of Theme and invite the prospect to “Come and See the works of the Lord.”

q Stick with the Come and See Soul-winning Presentation when you are on Seeing is Believing visita-tion.

q Use questionnaires when it looks like the visits handed you are not going to present an opportunity to witness.

q Be in the Come and See Presentation by 8:30 to 8:40 or come back to the church.

In the Trainee’s Lifeq Endeavor to give the trainee experience.

q Don’t let a week go by without the trainee hearing or saying the presentation in person. (If you need to, go to a church member who will listen, or worst case scenario, practice the presentation with your team.)

q Remember – “Soul-winning is better caught than taught.”

q Keep momentum going throughout the entire course, especially through the middle plateau. (Check to see if your trainee is caught up on all work and understands everything thus far.)

q “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6)

Name: _____________________________

q Turn in Commitment Card.

q Read Information Sheet.

q Read Chapters 1-5 from Just What the Doctor Ordered.

q Pray about which two Prayer Partners you should ask.

q Listen to the Come and See Demonstration Tape.

q Memorize Psalm 66:5.

q Memorize Lesson 1 Memory Sheet.

q Say Lesson 1 Memory Sheet out loud from memory to mirror.

q SayLesson1MemorySheettosomeonebeforeclass.Havehim√thepointsyouremember.Pleaseask him to be accurate.

q Hand out 5 gospel tracts.

q Pray for the lost and God’s power on your life.

Lesson 1 Assignment Sheet

Come and see the works of God: He is terrible [awesome] in His doing toward [dealings with] the children of menPsalm 66.5

q Conversation –I must turn the conversation to the Theme of Themes.

q uMaking Conversation

qv Directing Conversationq How would you describe your relationship with God?

q He has changed my life. – Testimony

q What do you think it takes to have a relationship with God and live with Him forever in heaven?

q Are you 100% sure that all your sins are forgiven and that you’re going to heaven?

q I John 5:13, or Titus 3:5

q May I show you from the Bible how to have a relationship with God?

q Introduction – I must introduce the sinner to the Savior.

qu God is Holy and cannot tolerate our sin.q God’s Intolerance – Habakkuk 1:13a

q God’s Reflection – 10 Commandments

I John 3:4b

q Man’s Dilemma – Romans 3:23

q Illustration – Flag Pole

qv God is Just and cannot overlook our sin.q God’s Standard – Romans 6:23a

q God’s Judgment – Matthew 25:41

q Man’s Destiny – Revelation 21:8

q Illustration – Judge acquitting a proven murderer/brother –

Would that be justice?

qwGod is Loving and has reached out to us. He has provided a way for us to be close to Him that satisfies His holy/just nature. (John 3:16)

q God’s Son

q Who would you say Jesus is? God in flesh – John 1:14

q God’s Exchange – Jesus becomes:

q Our Substitute – I Peter 3:18

q Our Righteousness – II Cor. 5:21

q Illustration – My Record / His Record Analogy

q Our Full Payment – I John 1:7b

John 19:30

q Man’s Deliverance from sin and its penalty – I Corinthians 15:3-4

qxGod is Gracious and offers salvation as a gift.q God’s Gift – Ephesians 2:8-9

q God’s Offer – John 1:12

q Man’s Decision

q Believe – Acts 16:31

q Illustration – Blondine – Get in the wheelbarrow.

3 Elements of Saving Faith

UnderstandingGod can’t tolerate or overlook my sin. He gave His life in exchange for mine, and wants to give me eternal life.

AgreeingI am a sinner and need a Savior

Depending / TrustingI choose to receive Jesus’ Exchange - my sin & it’s penalty for His record & eternal life.

q or Repent – Luke 13:5 Change of Mind

q Illustration – Two Chairs – Transfer dependence/trust

q Illustration – Point of No Return – What would you do?

q Invitation – I must offer the inquirer the gift of Eternal Life.

qu Pray

qv Askq Do you believe that Jesus loves you and will give you forgive-

ness and eternal life if you ask Him?

q Then are you willing to receive Him right now?

qwWelcome

qAssimilation – I must call the disciple to the Life of Christ.

qu Assurance – John 5:24

qv Acceptance – Ephesians 1:6b

qwAdoption – Romans 8:15bq Heavenly Family / Holy Spirit

q Church Family / Church Attendance

qx Inheritance - q His Victory – 1Corinthians 15:57

q His Life – Galatians 2:20

q His Word – I Peter 2:2

q Learning to Live with God Bible Study

Come and See Lesson 1 Memory Sheet

5

COme and see lessOn 1 - inTrOduCTiOn & demOnsTraTiOnInviting Men to Meet Jesus Sermon Notes

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

6

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

7

I. God’s Church Planting /Growth Model

God’s ChurCh PlantinG/Growth Model(Each soul won and called to the life of Christ is a microcosm of planting a church.)

• Conversation lalew “Spake” - Acts 11:20 • Evangelization (Introduction& euaggelizw “Preaching” - Acts 11:20 Invitation) • Assimilation parakalew “Exhorted” - Acts 11:23 • Indoctrination (RegularChurch didaskw “Taught” - Acts 11:26 Involvement)

Building the Church will never be accomplished without God’s hand of blessing

• AndthehandoftheLordwaswiththem:andagreatnumberbelieved,andturneduntothe Lord. (Acts 11:21).

Divine Appointment Concept

• GodistheLordoftheharvest.HesendsusforthasreapersintoHisharvest.Ifweareto see souls saved for His glory, we must depend on Him to lead us to those He has pre-pared. (Matthew 9:36-38)

Bridging the Gap

There are four verbs used to describe the communcation involved in the first Church plant in heathen territory. The first verb is “conversation.”

Conversation to Introduction

• Ifsomeoneaskedyouhowtogettoheaven,wouldyoubewillingtotellthem?Wouldyou know enough of the Gospel to explain it to them? No doubt the answer to both of these questions is an unreserved yes. Our problem is not that we don’t want to “preach.” Our problem is not that we don’t know what to say. Our problem is finding opportuni-ties to give the Gospel.

“Soul-winners are not soul-winners because of what they know, but because of the Person they know, how well they know Him and how much they long for others to know Him.”

– Dawson Trotman founder of the Navigators.

The second verb in God’s Church Planting Model is preaching, but if we don’t learn how to accomplish the first verb, we will not have very many chances to preach. Notice that the early disciples turned the conversations they had in Antioch into preaching opportu-nities. How many preaching opportunities do you get a day? How many conversations do you have each day? Our need is to turn our daily conversations into opportunities to introduce men to Jesus.

COme & see lessOn 1

8

Come & See • Lesson 1

Clay Henry Trumbull’s Life-Resolve (Father to Charles Trumbull author of Victory in Christ)

• Asayoungprofessional,ClayH.Trumbullworkedasanofficeclerkandlivedinaboarding house. One day he got a letter from a friend back home. He went to a small map-closet at work where he could be alone while he read the letter. It told him clearly how to be saved and made a personal appeal to receive Christ. He knelt on the floor of that map-closet and readily prayed the sinner’s prayer. The next day on the way to work he took the opportunity to introduce a co-worker to his new found joy and urged him to make the same decision..

The man’s response burned another decision deep into Trumbull’s heart. He answered with shame and conviction, “I’ve been a Christian since a child, but never said a word that caused you to suspect it. I see now that you would have no doubt received Christ if I had but opened my mouth.” That day Clay Henry Trumbull made this resolve that he kept the rest of his life.

• “WheneverIaminsuchintimacywithasoulastobejustifiedinchoosingmysubjectofconversation,thethemeofthemesshallhaveprominencebetweenus,sothatImaylearnofhisneed,andifpossible,meetit.”

Analysis:

In what way does this resolve guard against haphazard or discourteous efforts? In what circumstances does this resolve call for boldness? Why should each Christian make this same resolve? What is this resolve’s definite and declared purpose? Here is the resolve in more simple language.

• IresolvetodirecteveryconversationIpossiblycantothethemeofthemes,learnofthatsoul’sneed,andifpossiblemeetit.

Will you make this your Life-Resolve? In what ways do you think it will change your life?

Assimilation to Indoctrination

The next two verbs, assimilate and indoctrinate, are equally interrelated.

• Theconceptofpavingthewayistrueaboutdiscipleshiptoo.Ourchurchesaregoodatteaching, but frankly, we are not very good at getting our converts to church. The verb parakaleo means to call along side. The word “assimilate” means to incorporate or to make a part of. God has called and equipped us to call our converts to become a part of us. We must befriend them and do whatever is necessary to facilitate this process.

• Imagineamothertellinganewborn,“Breakfastisat8:00am.Bethere!”Ifthebabydidn’tcomewouldshesay?-“Iguesshewasn’treallyborn.”NO!Shetakesbreakfasttothe baby. How long does she do that? - As long as it takes.

or . . .

9


Canyouimagineamotherallowingsomeoneelsetoraiseherbaby?NO!Exceptinextreme circumstances she would never allow this to happen. Why? Because that’s her baby!Thechildbelongstoher!MayGodgiveusthisattitudetowardour“spiritualbabies.”

It is only when we have assimilated the new convert into our church family that we will have the ability to “teach them to observe” and see him become a productive memober of the Kingdom of Heaven.

II. Introduction to The Come and See Gospel Presentation

Come and See is thorough and Theo-centric. It will equip you with all the tools you will need to be used by the Holy Spirit as He draws men and women to our Lord Jesus Christ. It intro-duces a prospect to the God of the Bible, and invites him to see that that God is a person Who has specific characteristics and to see man’s relationship to those characteristics.

• Conversation - We usually need to pave the way to introducing people to the Savior through a brief conversation that turns a man or woman’s heart and mind toward Spiritual things.

Resolve - I must turn the conversation to the Theme of Themes.• Introduction - Before we can expect a soul to make the decision to begin a relationship with

God, it is imperative to introduce God as a person Who has definable attributes.

Resolve - I must introduce the sinner to the Savior. The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit is come to convince the world of the truth

about sin, righteousness, and judgment. – “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” (John 16:8).

The Apostolic example is preaching these same three themes. “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance (sin), and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, ‘Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.’” (Acts 24:25).

Paul declared the truth about God, and the Holy Spirit convinced Felix of it’s truth. He didn’t use apologetics or logical emphasis. He declared simple truths to Felix and expected the Holy Spirit to convince him. It is clear from the con-text that Felix was convinced in his heart of his need even though did not make a decision.

The Emphasis of this program is a clear and simple presentation of the Gospel as opposed to an apologetic approach. It relies on the power of the Gospel to convince the sinner of His need and draw him to the Savior.

“For I [Paul] am not ashamed of the gospelofChrist: for it isthepowerofGodunto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16)

“And I [Jesus], if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32)

Rather than start with the premise that man has a problem and needs God, the Come and See Gospel Presentation begins with a simple introduction to God as a person and invites man to see his resulting dilemma. It is designed to show a sinner that:

10


u GodisHolyand cannot tolerate our sin. - Sin

v God is Just and cannot overlook our sin. - Judgment

w God is Loving and has reached out to us. (He has provided a way for us to be close to Him.) – Righteousness provided

x God is Gracious and gives salvation as a gift. – Righteousness obtained

• Invitation - Using the format of a public invitation the Come and See Gospel Presentation will guide you to draw the prospect to a decision in a direct, yet smooth flowing sequence that will allow the Holy Spirit to convert a sinner without man’s manipulation.

Resolve - I must offer the inquirer the gift of Eternal Life.• Assimilation - Jesus said in John 15:16 “I have chosen you…that ye should go and bring forth

fruit, and that your fruit should remain:….” The context of this verse indicates that we are to teach our “fruit” how to abide in Christ. This portion of the presentation is only an intro-duction, but is designed to encourage the convert to plumb the depths of his newly obtained “riches in Christ.”

Resolve - I must call the disciple to the Life of Christ.

III. The fivefold priorities of Come and See

#1 To manifest the powerful person of Christ by allowing Him to use us in His continuing min-istry of transforming lives

#2 To train men and women to be diligent and effective laborers in the Master’s plenteous har-vest fields

#3 To train men to call converts to live the transforming life of Christ.

#4 To lead men to Christ.

#5 To disciple converts.(He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalms 126:6).

IV. The “Why’s” of the Method of the Come and See Soul-winning Program

The Command - Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Church –

• Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evange-lists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting [equipping] of the saints, for [into] the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

• IITimothy2:2Andthethingsthatthouhastheardofmeamongmanywitnesses,thesame commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

11


The Concept - Seeing is Believing (On the Job Training)

Seeing the Word – Some people believe because they simply choose to believe the words of God and as a result see the work of God accomplished.

• Matt. 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

• Rom. 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Seeing the Work – Others have to see the works of God before they come to faith in the Word of God.

• John 10:37-38 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believetheworks:thatyemayknow,andbelieve, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

• John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hethatbelievethonme,theworksthatIdoshall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

• Ithasbeensaid,“Soulwinningisbettercaughtthantaught.”

• Psalm 126:5-6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,bringing his sheaves with him.

The Conviction - And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. (Acts 11:21).

See “God’s Plan to Preach the Gospel to Every Creature” Chart

V. Jesus is the Answer Ministries

Come and See

Inquirer’s Bible Study

Learning to Live with God

VI. Conversational Evangelism

1. Turning conversations to Evangelism

2. Conversational Style Presentation

3. Conversation = Lifestyle / Making Evangelism a Way of Life

VII. Catch the Vision

Proverbs 29:18a –“Wherethereisnovision,thepeopleperish”

This story is based on an old sermon illustration. Though it is a fictitious story it has been repeated many times in real life.

Jack was on his way home for the 1st time in twenty-five years. He remembered the last day he had seen the old building. He was much younger then. He had grown up in that church. His best memories were of the missionaries that preached there. He could see Pastor Jenkins now

12


- his eyes burning as missionary after missionary reminded the congregation of the call to the world. He remembered the teens in the youth group meeting each Sunday night before Evening Service to pray for missions. How Jack had longed to be old enough to be a part of their num-ber. He wondered how many of those kids were still burdened for missions today. He should have kept up better.

He remembered how fast that time went. He was just a kid wishing he could be a part of the activity. Then he was in the midst of the activity and the burden for reaching the world with the Gospel Message was so real it consumed his thinking. He remembered the Missions Conference when Pastor Jenkins hung the sign in the back of the auditorium. - Wherethereisnovision,thepeopleperish.That was the week he finally surrendered to be a missionary. In the back of his mind he sensed that God had called him, but that Sunday he knew for the first time that God wanted him to be a missionary. Then he was off to Bible College, with only brief visits home now and then. He remembered how feeble Pastor Jenkins looked at his commissioning service, and wasn’t surprised to learn of his home going while he was in language school.

He may have been feeble, but he was still sharp, and Jack remembered with a thankful heart how he stopped a line of questioning at his ordination counsel. Jack remembered wondering how he shouldanswerthequestiononpredestination.Histhoughtswhirled!Itseemedthattheques-tion grew wings as one man after another added his spin on it. Pastor Jenkins had placed a reas-suring hand on Jack’s shoulder and said, “This question has been debated for decades, and we on the counsel can’t even agree on the answer. I don’t think it’s appropriate to have this young missionary drawn into it. Jack why don’t you tell them about your burden for the Congo.”

It was that same hand that Jack remembered now - heavy, yet comforting on his shoulder as the deacons and Pastor Jenkins laid hands on him that next day and commissioned him to be their missionary. What a weight of responsibility and sense of confidence they laid on him that day. Then there was the memory of the people standing in front of that old vibrant country church waving goodbye, there was the last minute prayer with Pastor at the Train Station, and then he was gone

That was twenty-five years ago now. It had been hard not to be able to go home when his par-ents had died suddenly in the accident, but they were buried in the churchyard by the time word got to him. Besides, the work was thriving and there was no one to take his place. He had received letters from the ladies’ missionary society for some years, but they began to dwindle. It had been three years since he had heard anything.

As he rounded the corner he was devastated by what he saw. The building was faded, with white paint pealing from it’s warped siding. Some of the tall narrow windows were broken and ugly. The grass was wild and un-mowed. Even the hitching post was broken. Jack walked up the tilted stairs and peered in the window on the door. He was not surprised to find that it was unlocked. No one had ever locked the doors to this church. He could almost hear the voices of the con-gregation singing as he walked down the squeaking wood floor of the center aisle. Some of the hymnbooks were still in their racks, but the dust of disuse was thick. Jack was confused. How could this happen? He remembered such life in this room, and now it was if he were walking

13


in a mausoleum. He climbed up the creaking steps to the old ornate pulpit, ran his hands over itsdustytop,andturnedtolookbackatwhatusedtobe.Thenhesawit!Onthebackwall,the sign that had been put up years ago in the height of zeal was sagging and broken. The part remaining on the wall spelled out what had happened to the life of this church:

…novision,thepeopleperish.

A vision is a divine communication.

Vision is larger than what we are doing or in some cases able to do. Vision is the goals at which we are aiming.

The word perish means to let go, to neglect, or to loosen.

In Matthew 18:18 Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, ‘Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’”

May we determine to keep our vision clear so as not to loosen our grip on those in need.

A. The Source of The Vision

1. Christ is the Head of the Church – Ephesians 5:23 … Christ is the headofthechurch: and He is the Savior of the body.

2. He Told us His Vision - Marke 16:15, “Preach the Gospel to Every Creature”

B. The Substance of the Vision

1. World Evangelism

a. The Command - Preach the Gospel to Every Creature

b. Conundrum

1.) There is no way that I, one person, can preach the Gospel to every creature.

2.) So I show my urgency to do as much a I can by using ….

• ComeandSee

• Inquirer’sBibleStudy

• LearningtoLivewithGod

2. Church Planting

14


God’s ChurCh PlantinG/Growth Model

• Conversation lalew “Spake” - Acts 11:20 • Evangelization (Introduction& euaggelizw “Preaching” - Acts 11:20 Invitation) • Assimilation parakalew “Exhorted” - Acts 11:23 • Indoctrination (RegularChurch didaskw “Taught” - Acts 11:26 Involvement)

C. The Stirring of the Vision

1. The Responsibility – “stir up the gift”

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. (II Timothy 1:6)

2. The Method - Praying

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; (Romans 15:30)

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborors into His harvest (Matthew 9:38)

WhatisthevisionGodisgivingyou?

HowisGodaccomplishingyourvisionthroughYOU?

WhatchangesisHeaskingyoutomake?

Whatchangesareyouwillingtocommittingtomake,rightnow?

15


God’s Plan to Preach the Gospel to Every CreatureIf you and I were both gifted evangelists and were able to lead 1,000 souls to the Lord every week that would be 104,000 souls in one year! If we were able to do that for 16 years we would be privileged to see 1,664,000 souls brought into the Kingdom of God.

BUT!If you and I each determined to ask God for just one soul every six months and then trained that one to do the same, and each continued to go after and train their man or woman,

- This would be the result!1st Year 2x2=4 4x2=8

2nd Year 8x2=16 16x2=32

3rd Year 32x2=64 64x2=128

4th Year 128x2=256 256x2=512

5th Year 512x2=1,024 1,024x2=2,048

6th Year 2,048x2=4,096 4,096x2=8,192

7th Year 8,192x2=16,384 16,384x2=32,768

8th Year 32,768x2=65,536 65,536x2=131,072

9th Year 131,072x2=262,144 262,144x2=524,288

10th Year 524,288x2=1,048,576 1,048,576x2=2,097,152

11th Year 2,097,152x2=4,194,304 4,194,304x2=8,388,608

12th Year 8,388,608x2=16,777,216 16,777,216x2=33,554,432

13th Year 33,554,432x2=67,108,864 67,108,864x2=134,217,728

14th Year 134,217,728x2=268,435,456 268,435,456x2=536,870,912

15th Year 536,870,912x2=1,073,741,824 1,073,741,824x2=2,147,483,648

16th Year 2,147,483,648x2=4,294,967,296

4,294,967,296x2=8,589,934,592

i’ll start now. will you?

lesson 1 notes:___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

16

Name: _____________________________

17


q Fill out cards for and meet with 2 prayer partners.

q Read chapters 1-2 from Pathway to Power.

q Memorize I John 5:13a and Titus 3:5.


q Listen to Inviting Men to Meet Jesus.


q SayLesson2MemorySheettosomeonebeforeclass.Havehim√thepointsyouremember.Pleaseask him to be accurate.”
















I John 3:4b









q God’s Son







John 19:30




q Man’s Decision











qu Pray




qwWelcome










19

COme & see lessOn 2What to ExpEct & IdEntIfyIng dIvInE appoIntmEnts

I. Requirements for Come and See

A. You must be trusting Christ as your personal Savior before you can lead others to do so.

B. You must be a vessel of honor.

1. The Purity of the Vessel – “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a ves-sel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (II Timothy 2:21).

2. The Purging of the Flesh – “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, char-ity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.” (II Timothy 2:22-23).

3. The Preparation of the Soul – “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,” (II Timothy 2:24).

4. The Passion of a Lifetime – “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” (II Timothy 2:25-26).

Same word as Luke 5:10 Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men (caught alive).

C. You must be filled with the Spirit of God.

1. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49).

2. We no longer need to wait for the promise, but we do need to receive the power of the Lord by faith and go out anticipating His blessings because of it.

3. 1Co 2:4* And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wis-dom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

4. I Thessalonians 1:9-2:12

D. You must be committed to do this ministry in the power of the Lord. We demonstrate our dependence on Him through:

1. Prayer - You will be asked to enlist 2 prayer partners with whom you will pray once a week.

2. Perseverance - If God is really calling you to this ministry He will help you complete all of the memory work and assignments.

3. Faithfulness - If you are expecting God to create “Divine Appointments” for you during each Seeing is Believing time then you will be faithful to be there to be used of Him in His work.

E. You must be willing to let the Lord assist you in becoming an effective mouthpiece for Deity. We will talk more about that next lesson.

20

II. What to expect from being involved in Come and See

A. You will see God work and the devil attack. Be Prepared for both.

B. You are now a part of a team. You will probably develop a growing relationship with your partners as you assault the gates of Hell together.

1. Let the trainer lead you and your discussions in the car.

2. Watch him as he teaches by example how to depend on the Lord to get you into homes and open the doors to present the Gospel.

3. Always let him know how you are doing with homework and specifically how you are doing with learning the Come and See One Page Memory Sheet.

C. You will have a college class level of homework. Please be prepared to put the appropriate amount of effort into it for you to be able to keep up with it on a weekly basis.

D. The Class structure will be similar each week. You will need to be on time if you are to get everything done.

1. Quiz over memory work and turn in assignments

2. Brief testimonies about Everyday Evangelism opportunities

3. Demonstration of that nights segment of the Gospel Presentation. (You will be requested to write down questions or comments while you are observing.)

4. Discussion about the “hows” and “whys” of the Demonstration

5. Break up into groups of two for practice

E. Seeing is Believing (On the Job Training) is the heart of this course. During this “on the job training” you will be putting into practice what you are learning in class. You must complete a minimum of 20 hours to receive your certificate of Completion.

F. When you have completed the course you will, Lord willing, be confident that God can use you to lead lost souls to himself.

III. Looking for Divine Appointments

A. Definition - A divine appointment is when God providentially empowers you to touch a life in which He is already working.

Two Key Elements of a Divine Appointment - Providence / Evidence

Youknowyou’reinadivineappointmentwhen:

… you enter a situation and it is obvious that God has been at work before you get there.

… the person to whom you are talking tells you that someone else has been talking to him about the Lord.

… you see obvious interest and/or conviction.

… the Lord leads you to say something you normally don’t say.

… when a lost person approaches a Christian out of the blue.

… when the timing of the events is obviously from God.


21

… the person to whom you are talking is dealing with a traumatic event that has pointed him to his inner needs.

… when a visitor comes to your church without a human invitation.

… when someone brings up the Bible, religion, God, or spiritual things in a normal con-versation.

B. Modern-day Examples

Sherry on the airplane

Jewish woman on porch

Sarah Fisher (Auto Accident)

Young couple – “We’ve been studying the Bible every night. We want to know how to live forever.”

Prayer in Iloilo – “God we don’t have much time. Would you turn some of our witness-ing times into preaching times?”

C. Biblical Examples

1. Acts 18:9-11 “…for I have much people in this city.”

2. Luke 5:10 “…from henceforth thou shalt catch men.”

3. II Tim. 2:25-26 “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradven-ture will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;”

4. John 16:5-8 – “And when He [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world…”

5. Genesis 24:27 “…I being in the way, the Lord led me…”

6. Acts 8:26-40 - Philip and the Ethiopian

7. Acts 24:24-25 - Paul before Felix

D. Two Ways of Finding Divine Appointments

1. Take the Opportunity – Carpe Diem

a. Being Soul Conscience

b. John 3

c. (Personal Illustration) Barbara - “So this is a Baptist Church, huh?

d. Looking for the opportunities that God sends.

2. Make the Opportunity

a. If a person says, “I don’t schedule Soul-winning I just live in soul consciousness” and lets weeks go by without witnessing to anyone, he is disobedient.

b. IftherearenoobviousSoul-winningOpportunities-Dorightanyway!

Phil – “I don’t get very many people who ask me about being a Christian. Would it be OK if I asked them first.”

c. God can work anytime - Bad time to fish Luke 5:5

d. John 4 – “I must needs go through…” Making an opportunity - “Give me to drink”

NOTE: In both cases we are still dependent on the Lord for leading, and guidance.


22

E. The Biblical Pattern of Finding Divine Appointments

1. Diligently Sow & and Reap

a. Mark 4:3-9 - “Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow”

b. Mark 4:26-29 – “But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.”

2. Constantly Look to the Fields

a. What Jesus Saw - John 4:35-38 “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”

The disciples were looking for a harvest that was a ways off. Jesus saw a harvest that was ripe and ready to be picked.

1) Lift up your eyes. (Get our eyes off ourselves)

2) Look unto the fields.

3) Keep looking until you find.

b. What Jesus Knew - Matt 9:35-36 “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preachingthegospelofthekingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

1) Fainting (something going wrong in his life.)

2) Scattered (loneliness)

3) Without a shepherd (needing direction)

4) Jesus moved with compassion (in you)

c. Questions you can ask to find out what God is doing in a person’s life

a) How can I pray for you?

b) Do you want to talk about it? (Probably not a good one for visitation.)

c) What do you see as the greatest challenge in your life?

d) What is the most significant thing that is happening in your life right now?

e) What do you think God is trying to do in your life?

f) What particular burden has the Lord given you?

c. Consistently Expect to Harvest (Practice the Promises)

1) Matt. 9:37-38 – “Then saith he unto his disciples, ‘Theharvesttrulyis plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’”

2) Psalm 126:5-6 – “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing


23

his sheaves with him.”

3) Mark 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and Iwillmakeyou to become fishers of men.

4) Luke 5:10 And Jesus said …, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.


Name: _____________________________

25


q Complete Seeing is Believing Debriefing Chart.

q Pray with prayer partners.

q Read chapters 6-10 from Just what the Doctor Ordered.

q Memorize Habakkuk 1:13a & I John 3:4b.


q Listen to The Come and See Soul-winning Program Side 1.


















I John 3:4b









q God’s Son







John 19:30




q Man’s Decision











qu Pray




qwWelcome










27

COme & see lessOn 3makIng friends ThrOugh convErsatIon

Note: All of the following is designed to show the prospect the love of Jesus, and must not be done in the flesh with a sales mentality.

I. How to Carry on a Compelling Conversation

A. Practical methods for starting conversations at church

1. Show genuine interest and concern.

2. Ask Questions.

How did you happen to come to our church?Do you know any of the members?How did you enjoy the service?Did you notice anything different about the service or the people?What is your church background?Have you ever heard preaching like that before?Was the Holy Spirit speaking to you? (Tugging at or squeezing your heart?)How would you describe your relationship with God? And so on.

3. If you don’t have time to witness at that moment make an appointment while you are stand-ing face to face.

“I virtually never go out without an appointment, and find that people visited in this manner are very responsive.” – James Kennedy

If you don’t make an appointment in person at church, visit later in the week unannounced. If it is an inconvenient time, graciously try to make an appointment at the doorstep.

8 or 9 out of ten appointments made over the phone end up with negative results.

B. Practical methods for starting conversations in a home

1. The introduction to a conversation is like an airplane at takeoff. It is one of the most critical moments of the whole visit.

a. On the Doorstep:

1) Stand where all the team may be seen, but don’t stand too close to the door.

2) Once the door is open don’t line up as 3 against one. Stand in a circle that includes the prospect in the doorway.

Prospect – potentially responsive person; likely candidate for evangelism

3) Be friendly and brief.

a) The longer you visit on the doorstep, the less likely you are to get into the home.

b) You are much more likely to have a warm conversation that leads to the Gospel in the home than you are on the doorstep.

4) Emphasize the operative words - “May we come in?”

Note: If a team leader is consistently writing “Good doorstep visit,” on his visita-

28

tion report, he probably is not asking, “May we come in?”

5) Sample Doorstep Word Tracts

• ChurchVisitor

“Hi, I’m and this is . We’re from Highlands Baptist Church. You visited our church Sunday (last week, for ), and we stopped by to return the favor, may we come in?

• Come and See Prospect

“Hello, I’m and this is . We’re from Highlands Baptist Church. from our church talked to on the phone about giving you all some more information about our church and she/he asked us to stop by and chat with you about it. May we come in?

• TeenVisitationContact

“Hello, I’m and this is . We’re from Highlands Baptist Church. One of our teens was here last week and told us you seemed to be interested in our church. He/she asked us to stop by and chat with you, may we come in?

b. During the Introduction:

1) The mood needs to be somewhat light.

2) Humor at this point can help relax and change the whole attitude.

“I don’t like organized religion.” Response “Then you’ll love our church. We’re very disorganized.”

“We’re not Baptist.” Response“That’sOK!We’renotprejudiced.”

3) Your going to be talking about the basic components of your prospect’s life.

Where he is fromWhat he doesWhat is his family backgroundWhat his hobbies are

2. Things that make a conversation compelling and draw the person to yourself as a friend.

a. Be Observant.

1) Search the room for indication of interests.

2) People usually put their valued treasures out for you to notice. Notice them.

3) Look for pictures of the family, toys, type of decor, trophies, pictures on the wall. These not only give you something to say, but they reveal the person’s interest.

4) Observe their body language.

a) Are they nervous?

b) Do they appear friendly or even lonely?

c) Are they reserved?


29

NOTE: Keep your mind off of yourresponsetothem and try to meet their need at the moment.

b. Ask Questions

1) To make sure the conversation starts out without awkward pauses, stay away from questions with yes or no answers.

2) Ask them:

Where they are from / Where they work / What they like about the area / What they like to do in their spare time / Who they have met in the area / How theyfeel about their move, the school, this part of town, etc. / Why they moved here

3) Learn as much as you can about the person. Show genuine interest and concern.

4) If it is a church visit you can ask the same questions ask a visitor at church.

How did you happen to come to our church?Do you know any of the members?How did you enjoy the service?Did you notice anything different about the service or the people?What is your church background?Have you ever heard preaching like that before?Was the Holy Spirit speaking to you? (Tugging at or squeezing your heart?)How would you describe your relationship with God? And so on.

5) One way of letting a person know that you really want to hear about him is to ask him how he is doing. When he gives you the obligatory, “Fine,” or “So, so.” Look straight into his eyes and say, “How are you really doing?” and then listen carefully.

c. Be Quiet and Listen

1) Don’t just wait your turn to get a chance to talk. Don’t focus on what you are going to say next. Think about your prospect. Show him genuine interest, because you are genuinelyinterestedinhim!

2) Earn the right to be heard and demonstrate Christian love

3) Show him that you are listening.

4) Respond verballyTry to remember what he or she says and refer back to it.

5) Respond nonverbally –

a) Use your body language to communicate to him that you care about him and what he is saying.

i. Sit forward in your chair. Don’t cross your arms over your chest.

ii. Look him in the eye.

iii. Nod when he makes a point or shares something about himself.

b) Match his intensity with yours. If he is calm and laid back, settle down. If he is intense and talkative, step it up a notch.


30

c) Use his name early in the conversation. (He’ll like to hear it, and it will help you remember it.)

6) Slowly you will begin to meet the real person and make the conversation warm.

d. Give a Sincere Complement

1) “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)

2) Clay Trumbull gives illustration after illustration of using a compliment as a means of opening the way to the Gospel.

One story in particular was when he was seated on a train by a young man with tale-tell ruddy complexion who twice took a large whiskey bottle out of his suitcase, and offered a drink to Dr. Trumbull before taking one himself. After the second drink the young man commented, “You must think I’m a pretty rough fellow.”

We might have thought this was our opportunity to point out the danger and evil of strong drink, but Dr. Trumbull knew the power of a word fitly spoken and offered the only honest commendation he could:

“I think you’re a very generous-hearted fellow.”

He had won him to himself in warmth and now had the opportunity to make a frank suggestion. “But I tell you frankly I don’t think your whiskey-drinking is the best thing for you.”

The young man replied, “Well, I don’t believe it is.”

With that Dr. Trumbull began to find our a little about the man’s story. He had left home angry and had made a mess out of his life, but on this trip was going home for Thanksgiving dinner. The two of them had a friendly conversation that ended with an appeal to trust himself into the hands of the all-sufficient Savior.

e. Create a desire to hear the Gospel.

1) We are the salt of the earth and Christ is the water of life.

2) Listen for some particular need and show how Christ can fulfill that need

3) Be sensitive to needs. – Everyone has a need.

4) If you find a need it should be investigated. Show genuine interest and concern.

5) When you give your personal testimony show the wonders of life in Christ.

6) Make sure to share personal details in your testimony. When you open your heart it is easier of your new friend to open his or her heart to your Savior.

C. Become a powerful communicator in your whole being.

1. Only 7% of most communication is in the words we say.

2. 38% of communication is vocal production, i.e. tone, inflection, compassion, etc.

3. 55% of communication is visual, i.e. body language, eye contact, gestures, smiles, and of course your lifestyle

“Your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.” - Carl Herbster


31

D. Habits to eliminate any that might be offensive or distracting from the Gospel message

1. Poor Hygiene (bad breath, body odor, unkempt appearance, etc.), Poor Facial Expressions (look-ing bored, scowling, etc.) or Poor Manners (tapping you fingers, watching the clock, etc.)

2. Talking too much, or speaking with no inflection in your voice

3. It is always essential to pay close attention to what the other person is saying. Looking away or interrupting someone while he is speaking will communicate to him that you are not really interested in him.

E. Additional notes regarding conversations in a typical church visitation visit

1. The team leader should help arrange the seating if possible.

a. Avoid seating the entire team on the same couch creating a “three of us against one of you” situation.

b. Try to create a four (or more) in a circle arrangement as much as possible.

c. Try to have the designated speaker seated as close to the prospect as possible.

d. If possible get the prospect and the speaker in two different chairs kitty-corner from each other.

e. The kitchen table is probably the most comfortable setting, but is not readily available from most entry ways.

2. All the members of the team should participate in the first part of the visit. The prospect does not need to know that you have a plan you are following.

a. When the team leader begins to turn the conversation to spiritual things, the other team members should allow him to do the talking and enter the conversation only when asked by the leader or clearly led by the Holy Spirit.

b. The “silent partners” are very important.

1) They can pray (with their eyes open).

2) They can pay close attention to the conversation and not allow themselves to get dis-tracted by the environment.

3) They can help deal with distractions as possible.

II. The Art of Making Friends

A. No matter how or when we meet the person, we can count on becoming his friend in only five minutes if we will use the information we have just learned.

B. Jesus says, “the fields are white already unto harvest,” but we tend to be blind to the open doors God is setting before us.

1. What we can be – A Philadelphian Church – Revelation 3:7-13 “I have set before thee an open door….”

2. What we might be – A Laodicean Church – Revelations 3:14-21 “and knowest not that thou art … blind.”

3. What we all need


32

a. “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

b. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

c. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne ….”

“For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” (I Corinthians 16:9)

C. Places to look for friends for Jesus

1. Ask Him to help you cultivate old relationships and develop new ones into open doors to present the Gospel.

a. Develop soul-winning as a natural part of your daily life by asking God to point out to you the people He is reaching around you. (John R. Rice and the mailman from Durango) We refer to this throughout the course as Conversational Evangelism.

1) Take time to develop relationships with hairdressers, salesmen, clerks, mechanics, etc.

2) Work diligently to get to know your neighbors.

3) Network with new believers.

• Helpthemsharethegospelwiththeirfriends

• LeadmetoanewChristianandIwilldiscoverawholenestofevangelisticpros-pects.

b. Feel free to suggest visiting one of your personal contacts during Seeing is Believing (On the Job Training).

2. House to House (or Buzzer to Buzzer) Evangelism

3. Questionnaire Evangelism (see Come and See Questionnaire)

4. New Move-in Evangelism (see Come and See Prospecting System)

5. New Baby Evangelism (There is something in nearly every new mother that causes her to long to help her baby know God.)

6. Church Visitor Evangelism

Someone who visits your church has already told you a lot about himself -

a. I am interested enough to step toward you.

b. I am open. I am coming to a fundamental church even though I feel alienated.

c. It is probable that the Lord is drawing him or her to Himself. (The flesh doesn’t seek after God.)

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will performit until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6)

If we see God’s hand starting something we can be confident that He will finish it.


33

Conclusion

“Finding the fish” (the art of finding prospects) is a term based on the fishing motif that Jesus used when He showed the disciples that He knew where “the fish” were and would show them where to “fish” if they would follow Him.

He still knows where “the fish” are, and if we are willing to follow, He will be showing us.

A Singaporean team being trained for soul-winning was out looking for prospects when one of the Singaporeans ran into someone he knew. The whole team waited while in typical Asian courtesy the two conversed. After they finished and the man was walking away, the Singaporean who had been talking to the man remembered about soul-winning. With a beautiful Singaporean accent he cried out in realization, “That’s a fish!”Hewentafterhimand in just a matter of time, the new convert was “caught for life.”


Name: _____________________________

35


q Complete Seeing is Believing Debriefing Chart.

q Pray with prayer partners.

q Read chapters 3-4 from Pathway to Power.

q Memorize Romans 3:23 & Romans 6:23.


q Listen to The Come and See Soul-winning Program Side 2.

















I John 3:4b









q God’s Son







John 19:30




q Man’s Decision











qu Pray




qwWelcome











37

COme & see lessOn 4dIrEctIng convErsatIon

Resolve: I must turn the conversation to the Theme of Themes.

I. Directing Conversations to the Theme of Themes

A. Ask a question that will turn the conversation to the Theme of Themes.

1. Biblical Examples

• “DostthoubelieveontheSonofGod?”(John9:35)

• “Understandestthouwhatthoureadest?”(Acts8:30)

2. Modern Possibilities

a. Your question can be a topic that is relevant to the setting.

• WalterWilsonChairStory

• PersonalIllustration:ManwithAids-“Whatkindofneedshaveyouexperiencedthrough this?”

NOTE: This mentality must be cultivated.

b. Your question can be a topic that relates to religion or church.

• Doyouhaveachurchhomeinthisarea?

• Didyougrowupinchurch?

• Whatisyourchurchbackground?

• Areyouinterestedinspiritualthings?

NOTE: Be sure to use a warm, conversational, friendly tone.The person you are conversing with shouldn’t be able to see that you are setting up a plan of action.

B. Make a statement that will turn the conversation to the Theme of Themes.

1. Biblical Examples

• John3“Exceptamanbebornagain…”

• John4“Givemetodrink…”

2. Modern Possibilities

a. Your statement can be something that is relevant to the situation.

• PersonalIllustration:Inthehospitalwithacouplewithanextremelyprematurebaby-“InasituationlikethisyouneedtheLord!”

b. Your statement can be a topic that relates to religion or church.

• Theotherdayatchurch….

• WhileIwasreadingmyBibleIfoundapassagethatstated….

C. Some conversations lend themselves to being turned more than others.

1. Jesus watched for opportunities to turn conversations to the “Theme of Themes.” He used:

38

• WaterinJohn4

• BreadinJohn6

• LightinJohn9

• DeathinJohn11

2. All people go through times of calm and times of crisis, times of resistance and times of responsiveness.

a. Difficulty and change tend to make people more receptive.

Be alert to express loving concern at such times.

Be prepared to “learn of his [or her] need, and if possible, meet it.”

b. The Thomas Holmes Psychological Stress Scale shows the degree of great receptivity on a scale of 1 to 100 when faced with:

Death of a spouse ............... 100Divorce or Separation ......... 73Loss of job ........................... 47Change of residence............ 20

• Job36:15“Hedelivereththepoorinhisaffliction,andopeneththeirearsinoppres-sion.”

• Findaneedandmeetit.Findahurtandhealit.

3. Watch for the following types of conversations which can easily be turned to the “Theme of Themes.”

a. A conversation about a close call with death

Death naturally opens the door to talk about eternity.

When talking about death we must always use sensitivity and tact.

b. A conversation about a tragic news headline

Tragedy (bad news) can lead to a discussion of good news.

We can lead the conversation to the thought – “At a time like that people really need the Lord.”

c. A friend’s request that you pray about something

He is evidencing an interest in spiritual things.

You can ask if he feels he is on “Praying Ground.”

Tell him that to be on praying ground he has to know God personally. Then ask him if you can introduce him to God and how to have a relationship with Him.

d. If a person asks you questions about:

Your church

Your Come and See training

The Bible

Your childhood


39

How you met your spouse, etc.

e. Special holidays or seasons of the year lend themselves to leading a conversation to God.

President’s Day – You can talk about what an impact those presidents have made on our culture, and then what their relationship was with Jesus.

Valentine’s Day - You can talk about how much God loves us, or that all love ultimately points back to Him.

Easter - The resurrection of Christ

4th of July - Freedom

Christmas - The birth of Christ

Birthday - Second Birth

Use your own ideas. The key is to be watching for the open doors God is plac-ing in your path.

II. Asking the 1st Question

Question # 1 - How would you describe your relationship with God?

A. Ask this question as naturally as anything else that you have asked. (Remember we’re acquiring a friend.)

B. From the very 1st question of the Come and See Gospel Presentation aim at making the encounter a conversation and not a monologue.

1. This question will establish that precedent.

2. This question also sets you up to tell about your relationship with God and how it got to where it is.

C. This question turns the conversation quickly and sets the tone for a serious introduction to who God is and how to have a vibrant relationship with Him.

D. If you listen carefully, you will learn much by the answer.

1. You will learn by the zeal they use to describe their relationship.

2. You will learn by the ease or lack thereof of their description.

3. You will begin to learn their needs by the words they use to describe their relationship with God.

III. Giving a salvation testimony

A. Your testimony should be brief. When you write it out, it should not take more than one page.

B. Your testimony must be a story about you and your relationship with God.

1. Most of us tend to make theologically correct statements about how we know we are saved and never tell our story.

• Wehavelearnedtogiveourtestimonytootherbelievers,tryingtoconvincethemthatwe


40

are saved.

• Weneedtolearntogiveourtestimonytounbelieverswhoneedtohearwhyandhowtobe saved.

2. The actual telling of your story will demonstrate that God is a real person and is working in real people today.

3. If you are transparent and personal it will open the conversation so that your prospect will be drawn to you and feel more comfortable being open and personal with you.

4. If your relationship with God is warm and inviting it will help create a hunger in his heart forthatkindofintimaterelationshipwithGod!

• You’vehearditsaid,“Youcantakeahorsetowater,butyoucan’tmakehimdrink.”

• Youcan’tmakehimdrink,butyoucanmakehimthirstybygivinghimsalt.

• “Yeare the salt of the earth:” (Matthew 5:13)

• “Letyourspeechbe always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4:6)

• AskGodtoenable(grace)youtomakeyourtestimonysaltysothatyoucancausehimtothirst for the Water of Life.

5. Avoid using theological words that only Christians know. They tend to confuse and alienate people.

C. Every testimony should include three things.

1. The negative condition of your life without Christ

a. Everyone senses his need for Christ differently. Some are close to suicide, some hear a message on hell and are afraid, and some simply sense a deep longing and emptiness.

b. You may have to work at this, but remember what led you to understand your need for Christ and simply tellyourstory.

c. Expect to strike a harmonious cord in the heart of your prospect.

1) God has created every man, woman, boy, and girl with a God shaped hole in his or her heart.

2) If the prospect is lost, there is something missing in his life, and you can expect the Holy Spirit to use your story to remind him of his need.

d. If you were too young to remember the negative condition of your life without Christ, then focus on the next two parts of your testimony. (It is not necessary to say how old you were when you received Christ.)

2. The story of when you received eternal life

a. Everyone comes to Christ the same way - by faith.

b. YoushouldnotgivetheGospelatthispoint. (We’ll do that later.)

c. It is necessary to point out that there was a specific time when you received Him.

• Beclearaboutwhatchangedyourlife.Don’tletitsoundlikeworksoraprocess


41

rather than a gift you recieved.

• Thisdoesnotneedtobemorethanasentenceortwo.

3. The reality of the transformation God has made (and is making) in your life

a. If you are saved you should have a changed life.

• “ThereforeifanymanbeinChrist,heisanewcreature:oldthingsarepassedaway;behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

b. GivearealstorythatdemonstratesthechangethatChristhasmadeinyourlife!

• Ifyouweresavedasachildyoumaywanttochooseandincidentinyouradultlifeinwhich the Lord made a real difference.

c. This is a testimonial, an advertisement for the Lord.

d. Show the wonders of life in Christ.

e. Again, make sure to share personal details. When you open your heart it is easier for your new friend to open his heart to your Savior.

D. Use this as a chance to knock out crutches people use to avoid Christ.

1. Private Matter

• Ifyouthoughtthatreligionwasaprivatematterthatshouldn’tbetalkedaboutfreely,butnowyou’regladsomeonehadthecouragetotalktoyouaboutit,sayso!

2. Good enough

• Ifyouthoughtthatyourgoodlivingorgoodworkswereenoughtogetyoutoheaven,sayso!

3. Anything that was true of your thinking before you were saved that you think might be hold-ing others back from receiving Christ

E. Your testimony will pave the way to the next three questions.

NOTE: Be careful not give the answers to your questions in your testimony.

IV. Asking the other questions

A. Question #2 - What do you think it takes to have a relationship with God and live with Him forever in heaven?

1. There will be times when you ask this question and the prospect won’t know what to say.

a. The answer to this question is essential to your understanding of the prospects need.

b. Sometimes simply asking, “What do you think?” solves the problem.

c. Here are some other ways to ask this question if your prospect gets stuck.

• If someone you loved asked you how to know they were going to heaven, what would you tell them?


42

• If you came upon a scene where someone was near death and asked you how to get to heaven, what would you tell them?

• If you were to stand before God and He were to ask you, “Why should I let you into my heav-en?” what would you say?

2. Once the prospect has answered you may want to ask him, “Anything else?”

a. If he has given a works type answer this sometimes begins to show him that his answer is a bit of hollow.

b. If he gives a vague “faith” answer, this will help you get more specific.

c. Many people in the American culture have a split trust in Jesus and their own works. It is important to know this, so that you can deal with it thoroughly later.

NOTE: If you don’t get the information now, you may go through the whole introduction to God, and have your prospect tell you, “Oh, I’ve already done that.” If you know he has a split trust and is not really saved, this information will enable you to help him understand his problem when it comes up later in the discussion.

3. This is the first of two questions that are designed to give you an understanding of the pros-pect’s spiritual condition.

a. If the prospect answers the “what do you think it takes” question wrong and the “100% sure” question, “Yes, I am 100% sure,” then you will assume he or she has a false assur-ance of salvation and can deal with him accordingly.

b. If he answers the

come see! · 2015. 8. 31. · come and see the works of god: he is terrible [awesome] in his doing...

Documents